Flue-cleaner.



E. E. LOWELL.

FLUE CLEANER.

APPLICATION mu; MAY 3, 1916.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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WITNESS ?Mam ATTORNEY.

of \Vindham and State of Connecticut, have of resilient scrapers 1, a shaft or spindle 2. 2 invented a new and useful Flue-Cleaner, of journaled in said frame,fland a circular brusln which the following is 'a specification. 4 mounted on said'spindle between adjacent.

My inventionrelates to improvements in ends of endwise oppositely-disposed scrap-i. expansive cleaners for the fines or tubes of ers, aS will prcsently.be more fully exs -i 10 boilers and the like, and consists of a cerplained. I

tain peculiar frame, two pairs of segmental flhe aforesaid frame consists, of two end: scrapers, those in each pair being-spaced or head blocks 5, in which the shaft 2 is s apartand having their cutting orscraping Journaled, and plurality} of. tie-rods 6. edges juxtaposed to-the corresponding edges Generally there are, two tie-rods 6.- Then." of those in the other pair, but in offset relatter have their ends rigidly attached tor-7 lation thereto, a brush interposed between the blgcksfi. .S a'id tie-rods tf t ity i the scraping edges of .the two airs of scrapare secured to-opposite sides; otat-he head ers, and means to expand and contract said block *at that end,-;a-nd :at the other ex scrapers, together with such auxiliary and tremity'fire secured tocpposite sides of the subsidiary parts and members aS may llit ponding head block; :butto' sides that-i713 needed to render the cleaner complete an are iiut of line with said .first-mentioned=.-.- serviceable. I S.,, To enablerthe 'abofive memioned;at lhc rimary object f invention tilClllllQ-lltS tO-lJeflD21d e;1hlle -l'ods 6 are to produce a strong, durable, and convenient-,a; as shown at} I 7; 25 yet comparatively simple and inexpensive Prcf-erablyqthere are-[four scrapers l'ar- [inc or tube cleaner, which can be operated ranged ini -pai'rs' on opposite, sides of the as effectually in one direction as the other, transverse center of the fiflfimQi-With' the has resilient scrap ersthat yield to obstrue-, scrapers in each pair srelatively oppositely; tions, can be adjusted, that is, expanded or disposed laterally of the "device, and those; 30 contracted, while within a flue or tube as m the two pairs relatively oppositely dis- 385 well as when outside of the same, and in posed longitudinally ;.of--s.aid device. In" combination make up with their scraping consequence of -this.'th,e head blocks 5 are edges a complete circle the diameter of rectangular in cross-section, in-ordcr to prowhich is equal or approximates that of the vide a side for each scraper -1 and a side for bore which said edges fit, to the end that not oiie end of each tie-l'od-fi- B okeng from 90 l i a l it di l m t f the each side of each block 5 is aiscrew-threaded cleaner alone without any rotary movement, Stud The ends of the tic-ro (3 a P all that is required to scrape and clean out vnled with eyes or loops which .-are passed af [hie or tdbefbut the necessity is avoided. orler four of the studs 8 and thereon rigidly 40 of withdrawing the cleaner from the bore, secured by means of nuts 9, the latter beinges D STATES PA OFFICE.

FLUE-CLEANEE.

application filed May 3, 1916. Serial No. 95,066.

Toall'whom it may concern: v

Be it'known that I ELLIS E. LOWELL, a citizen of the United tatesof America, re-. siding at \Voodstock-Valley, in the county partially rotating the same, and then reintroduclng it into sa d bore.

Other objects and advantages willappear' in the course of the following description.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.,

Similar reference numerals refer to similar, parts throughout the several views I I 'Ihe eleaner-illustrated-in the drawings.

comprises a frame which carries a plurality screwed on to said studs and-binding thelooped portions of said .tie' rods tightly against the contiguous sides ofthe blocks 5.

The outer terminal -portions.. of;rthe 1.

I attain the objects and secure the advanscrapers are perforated to receive the studs 10 tagcs of my invention by the means illus- S, and such portions are placed 'over, such trated in the accompanying drawings, in studs as are uncngagedbythe tie-rods 6, which and there secured and tightly held against;

Figure l is a side elevation of a. line the contiguous sides of the blocks 5 by llllts ficleaner that embodies a practical form'of 10 screwed on to said studs.

my invention; big. 2, a longitudinal central section throilgh said cleaner, and, Fig. 3, a

rross-section through the ClC2ll'lCl',*t:ll(,ll on 7 lines 3-3, looking in the direction of the 55 associated arrow, in Fig. l.

A frame is thus provided for the spindle 2 and the scrapers l, which though simple sufiicicntly strong and rigid, I v I.

The scrapers 1 are resilient, and each has at its inner end a segmental= scraping edge,

blade, or cutter 11, which is the part that does the actual work of removing the deposits from the interior surfaces of tubes. Each cutter 11 is equal approximately to a fourth of a circle, so'that as arranged the four cutters form a complete although not continuous circle. All parts exceptgthe outer terminals ofthe scrapers 1 are clear of the head blocks 5, and the scrapers flare outwardly from the longitudinal; enter or axis -of the device and beyond'the blocks 5. In

were they would bind on the blocks and so interfere with the rotation of the spindle 2,

bu't said guards, nevertheless, practically hold said spjindle against' endwise movement inv saidj blocks. The guards 13 protect the cleaner at the ends, and facilitate the introduction of the cleaner into a tube ;at either endz'r 7 At, one end, it being immateri'al which, the spindle 2 has a projection sufficient to re- -,ceiye a C QUpl Iig 15 fer a long pipe or rod .rod appears 1.6, by'iireans of which latter the device is actuated back andflforth in and through a tube, such rorl being in fact a handle for the cleanen. .,-The majotj portion of the rod 16 is broken off ii! the est two views where such Thgsgindle 2 is... rightand left-hand screw-threads, 17, and18 thereon adjacent to the blocks 5 ion respectively between said blocks and the ;'brush 4, which latter is loosely mounted onsaid spindle between adjacent ends of the oppositely-disposed pairs of scrapers 1, or between'the two plaries each of which is common to the'cutters 11 in each air. I p The brush 4 is not thick enough to interfere at any time with the scrapers 1, and thediameter of said brush approximates'that of the bore of a tube which the cleaner is designed to fit. Preferably the flexible members of the brush are of wire. The tie-rods 6 pass through the aforesaid flexible members and so prevent the brush from rotating on the spindle 2. The brush is held against endwise movement on the spindle byg'any suitable means, as a screw 19 set in the body of said brush and extended into an annular groove 20 in said spindle.

The office of the brush 4 is to remove from a tube the particles detached therefrom by the scrapersl, and said brush like scrapers operates in either direction. V

Collars 21;"-21 are tapped onto the threaded parts 17 and 18 of the spindle 2.

Screws 2222 are passed through the slots 12, in the scrapers 1 in each pair, and tapped into the collar 21 between such scrapers. The heads of the screws 22 limit the outward flare or extension of the otherwise unconfined portions of the scrapers 1 from the axis of the device.

It will now be seen that, when the spindle 2 is rotated in one direction, the collars 21 are caused to approach each other, and the i scrapers 1 are drawn inwardly or contracted, and, When said spindle is rotated in the opposite direction, said collars are caused to recede from each other, and said scrapers are permitted to move outwardly or expand, the screws 22 moving in the slots 12 in each case. By this means and in this manner the scrapers are adjusted to fit a tube, and to adapt them to meet the conditions existing in such tube, since the scrapers can be adjusted while the cleaner is in a tube as Well as before the former is introduced into the latter.

The screws 22 in each collar 21 arediametrically opposite to each other, and peripheral transverse grooves 2323, diametrically opposite toeach other and be twen said screws, are formed in said collar. The tie-rods 6 pass through the grooves 23 and so hold the collars 21 against rotation and take the strain from the screws 22 when the spindle 2 is rotated. The collars 21, when actuated by the screw-threaded portions 17 and 18 of the spindle 2, slide between the tie-rods 6 with the latter in the grooves 23 to guide and hold said collars against rotation, as previously stated.

This cleaner is operated like flue cleaners generally by being forced back and forth through the tube being scraped to remove therefrom the scale and other accumulation of foreign matter therein, the amount of expension of thescrapers 1 and the force exerted circumferentially by the cutters 11 on the sides of said tube being determined and regulated in the manner hereinbefore explainedat length.

With this device tubescan be cleaned thoroughly and expeditiously.

Minor changes in matters of shape, size, arrangement, and construction of the parts of my cleaner may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a flue cleaner, with a frame comprising head blocks, and tierods rigidly attached at their ends to opposite sides of said blocks, laterally of the 'cleaner, such sides being out of line with each other, longitudinally of the cleaner,

said tie-rod are attached.

2. The combination, ma flue cleaner, with [if sc rapersattached to the sides of said. i blocks thatare between the sides to which a frame comprising head blocks, and tierods rigidly attached at their ends to said blocks, of a rightand left-hand threaded spindle journaled in said blovks, resilient slotted scrapers attached to said blocks, collars mounted on said scr w threaded portions of said spindle, said 1L lars being engaged by and in sliding relm tion to said tie-rods, and headed members passing through the slots in said s -r.a az;axinto said collars.

3. The combination, in a flue. cleaner, 1% its a frame comprising head blocks, and tierods rigidly attached at their ends to said blocks, of a rightand left-haini scrum threaded spindle journaled in said bloc 11 resilient slotted scrapers having segmental scraping edges, said scrapers being attached to said blocks and arranged with said wraping edges in two planes spaced apart and approximately at right-angles to the axis oi the cleaner, collars mounted on said screwthreaded portions of said spindle, said (:0!- lars being engaged by and in sliding" relation to said tie-rods headed members pass- M Chen is: to sides of said blocks that are Mia-Few: Hm: m which said tie-rods are atiri 'liwi,

Uml arranged with said scraping two planes waved apart and approximately at right-angles to the axis of in} sleaner, and expanding and contracting means carried by said frame, for said 

